The hodag is a small creature that is simultaneously a frightening demon and comically covered in spikes. It's often portrayed as being dog-sized, but early reports said it could grow to six-feet long. A 1928 legend describes the hodag as having the head of a frog, saber-tooth tiger-like fangs, thick legs with large claws, the back of a plated dinosaur, and a long tail with spears on the end. Despite its hellspawn swagger, it was never that much of a threat to humans, outside of its powerful "skunk perfume" stench. The green devil was "discovered" in 1893 by developer Eugene Shepard and almost instantly became a fixture of north Wisconsin folklore. Three years later, Shepard claimed he caught another and put it on display at the 1896 Oneida County Fair. He had knocked it out with chloroform so, of course, it was sleeping. But he had wires hooked up to the fake animal to make it move occasionally. Word spread fast and the Smithsonian sent a reporter to look into the hodag. Shepard quickly admitted it was a fraud. Rhinelander never let go, though. It's the high school mascot and there are multiple statues of the beast around town.
